Ford Motor Company plans to offer gas-electric hybrid versions of all its vehicles by 2030, the company said Thursday, as it continues to dial back the timing of some fully electric models.
The vehicle that best exemplifies the range of powertrains the company hopes to offer is the Louisville-made Escape SUV, which is enjoying a sharp rebound in sales this year after several years of decline.
The Escape and its upscale cousin the Lincoln Corsair are the only models Ford currently offers as plug-in hybrids, sporting a small battery that allows the car to travel on electricity alone for up to 37 miles.
Plug-in hybrids are not new. Ford used to offer them a decade ago with the Fusion and C-Max, small cars the automaker would later jettison to focus on large and profitable gas trucks.
Louisville Assembly Plant, which employs about 3,200 hourly autoworkers, more than tripled its Escape output during the firs three months of 2024.
Besides the Escape, Ford offers only a handful of its vehicles in hybrid form — most notably, the Maverick and F-150 pickups.
The small batteries in the hybrids do add the vehicle’s price, about $1,500 for a conventional hybrid and up to $10,000 for the plug-in version. The Escape plug-in hybrid starts in the low $40,000 range.
The battery price premium means plug-in hybrid owners must be vigilant about charging to achieve as much gas-free driving as possible.
Source: WDRB
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